1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a system for managing a series of operations according to a predetermined work flow, and supporting the successful performance of the series of operations by a plurality of users, and also relates to a storage medium for storing a program used to direct a computer to manage the operations and support the successful performance of the operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been a system called a work flow management system for managing information about, for example, persons to be assigned to respective jobs, the term limit of each job, etc. which are necessary in performing a process based on the work flow of a series of predetermined jobs. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the conventional work flow management system.
In FIG. 1, a server 111 is provided with a work flow engine 112 for managing a work flow.
A work flow definition information storage device 121 stores a work flow of a series of operations managed by the work flow engine 112. The work flow is stored for each a work process (for example, a series of operations such as production management, personnel management, etc.). For example, when a work process refers to production management, the work flow definition information storage device 121 stores, as a work flow, an order slip issuing operation, an operation of issuing production management information (product specification, etc.), an operation of issuing a production instruction slip, etc. Such operations forming a work flow of a work process are referred to as work activities.
A work information storage device 122 stores work information about, for example, the work flow of a work process being performed. For example, the work information storage device 122 stores the name of a person assigned to each job, a work instruction, the term limit of each job, a work history, etc.
A work database 123 is a product specification database for production management, and is a common database of the server 111.
In this example, a client A 141 belongs to the sales department of a company.
In this example, a client B 142 belongs to the production management department of the company.
In this example, a client C 143 belongs to the production department of the company.
FIG. 2 shows the operation of the conventional work flow management apparatus shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 2 shows an example of the work flow of the production management work process. In this work flow, the sales department first receives from a customer a request for product delivery, and issues a product order slip to the production management department. Then, the production management department receives the slip, and issues a production request to the production department. The production department receives the production request.
The work flow engine 112 performs a work activity transfer process 114 between clients and a next work activity determining process 115 based on the progress of the work process.
The work flow definition information storage device 121 stores a table 121xe2x80x2 showing the work flow for production management.
The work database 123 stores the database of the product specification (including the product specification A 130 of a product specified in a production request) of each product which can be manufactured by the production department. Furthermore, the work database 123 also stores the listing format of each slip transmitted and received among the departments in the company. The format of the slip can be individually generated and used by a user system of each client.
In this example, work information 126 stored in the work information storage device 122 includes necessary information (ordered work information 001, a person A of the sales department as an order receiver, a person B of the production management department as a production request receiver, a person C of the production department as a person in charge of production, and Dec. 11, ""99 as the term limit of production) in processing the work process by a user system, together with an order slip 127, a production request slip 128, and a product specification sheet A 129.
The order slip 127 is generated by the person A of the sales department in the client A 141.
The production request slip 128 is generated by the person B of the production management department in the client B 142.
The product specification sheet A 129 refers to the specifications of a product specified in the production request slip generated by the client B 142 based on the product specification A 130 of the product A stored in the work database 123.
An order slip 151 is generated by the person A of the sales department in the client A 141 by inputting data in a corresponding item in a predetermined listing form.
An ordered work item information 152 is the order slip 151 received by the client B 142.
A production request slip 153 is generated by the person B of the production management department in the client B 142 by inputting data in a corresponding item in a predetermined listing form.
A product specification sheet A 154 is generated according to the product specification A 130 of a product A stored in the work database 123. It is the specification of the product specified in the production request, and is generated by the client B 142 and then transferred with the production request slip 153.
A production request slip 155 is the production request slip 153 transferred from the client B 142 and received by the client C 143 in the production department.
A product specification sheet A 156 is attached to the production request slip 155, and transferred with the production request slip 153 by the client B 142.
Described below are the operations shown in FIG. 2.
In the client A 141, the person A of the sales department generates the order slip 151 using an input tool provided in the client A 141. After the slip has been generated, the work flow engine 112 generates the work information 126, refers to the table 121xe2x80x2 stored in the work flow definition information storage device 121, and transfers the order slip 151 to the client B 142 based on the work flow indicated by the table 121xe2x80x2. At this time, the work information 126 does not contain the production request slip 128 or the product specification sheet A 129.
In client B 142, the person B of the production management department generates the production request slip 153 using the input tool provided in the client B 142 according to the ordered work item information 152 obtained from the transferred order slip 151. Furthermore, the person B generates the product specification sheet A 154 based on the product specification A 130 of the product specified in the production request stored in the work database 123, attaches it to the production request slip 153, and terminates the production request process.
When the production request process terminates in the client B 142, the work flow engine 112 adds the production request slip 128 and the product specification sheet A 129 to the work information 126 stored in the work information storage device 122, and updates them. Then, the work flow engine 112 refers to the table 121xe2x80x2 stored in the work flow definition information storage device 121, and transfers the production request slip 153 and the product specification sheet A 154 to the client C 143 based on the work flow shown in the table 121xe2x80x2.
In the client C 143, when the production request slip 155 and the product specification sheet A 156 are obtained, the person C of the production department confirms them, and notifies the work flow engine 112 of the completion of the entire production management process.
When the work flow engine 112 receives a completion notification of the production management process from the client C 143, it terminates a series of the operations (starting with the generation of the order slip 151) of the work flow management process.
Since the conventional work flow management system functions as described above, access is necessarily gained to the work flow definition information storage device 121 and the work information storage device 122 each time a work activity transfer process is performed. Therefore, when the amount of the work process and the work activities increases, the access is concentrated on the work flow definition information storage device 121 and the work information storage device 122. Thereby, the transfer speed is extremely reduced and the efficiency of the system is deteriorated.
The present invention aims at quickly managing a work flow with efficiency using a work flow management apparatus/system.
According to one of the embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of work flow support units and a work flow support unit management unit are provided so that the work flow supply unit management unit can determine the work flow support unit for managing each work flow. At this time, to prevent a load from being concentrated on a specific work flow support unit, the state of the load in each work flow support unit is recorded when a work process is started, and the previously recorded state of the load is referred to so that it can be determined based on the information which work flow support unit is to manage the work flow.
Then, each work flow support unit is provided with a work flow definition information storage apparatus and a work information storage unit so that necessary work information (for example, a work activity to be next started) can be specified, among the information stored in the work flow definition information storage apparatus, for the process of each work activity. The work flow support unit is designed to transfer only necessary work information for each work activity.
With this configuration, a load is not concentrated on a specific work flow support unit, thereby keeping a constant load state in each work flow support unit. Therefore, access is not concentrated on a specific work flow definition storage apparatus and a specific work information storage apparatus. As a result, the transfer speed is not extremely lowered even if the amount of the work to be managed increases.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the system is designed to manage a work flow using a main server and a home server.
The main server includes a work flow support unit provided with the work flow definition storage unit and the work information storage unit so that the work information can be transferred by the work flow support unit to the home server to which the work information is to be transferred and the person in charge belongs.
The home server is designed to have a storage unit for storing work information transmitted from the main server so that the work information for each person in charge can be individually provided at a request from the person in charge belonging to the home server.
With the configuration, a person in charge of a work activity is allowed to start an assigned work activity in any client provided in the home server to which the person belongs. As a result, work activities can be started in parallel by a plurality of persons belonging to the home server, thereby improving the efficiency of the entire work.